As The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington continues to commemorate Native American Heritage Month, Bishop Evelio Menjivar celebrated Mass at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Prince Frederick, Maryland, on Nov. 11. Concelebrants included Father Joseph Pierce, pastor at St. John Vianney, and Msgr. Karl Chimiak.

Bishop Menjívar, who is an auxiliary bishop of Washington, described the importance of celebrating Native American heritage.

“Today, we want to affirm the gifts and acknowledge the contributions made by Native people to the founding and development of our nation and to honor their culture and traditions,” Bishop Menjivar said. “We also want to bring awareness of the great challenges that the Native American communities face as a whole.”

The bishop went on to discuss how Native Americans have some of the highest rates of poverty in the nation. 

Bishop Menjivar then shared a story that has been passed on through oral tradition from the Seneca people. 

The Seneca people historically lived in what is now the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, and Bishop Menjivar said they could be related to the Piscataway people who lived in what is now Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

In the story from the Seneca people that the bishop shared, a chipmunk and a bear met to decide whether the world should be constantly nighttime or if there should be light. While the chipmunk wanted daylight, the bear fought for darkness. When the sun finally rose, the bear became angry. 

“Bear was furious and grabbed chipmunk with her big paw,” Bishop Menjivar said. “Chipmunk did get away into a hole in a log, but not before bear’s claws scratched off some fur, making the stripes on its back that we see today. And even now, every spring, chipmunk scurries around the woods happily, chattering ‘chip, chip, chip, the light is here.’” 

Bishop Menjivar found similarities between the Seneca story and the parable of the 10 virgins from that day’s Gospel reading from Matthew 25:1-13, as Jesus also told his followers stories to teach a lesson.

“In both stories, there is a contrast between the prudent and the foolish, between those who seek light and those who prefer darkness, between those who are awake and those who sleep,” Bishop Menjivar said. 

In the parable, 10 virgins are waiting for a bridegroom. Half of the virgins have enough oil to wait, while the others go out to replenish their oil. In a metaphor for Judgment Day, the ones who are prepared are rewarded, while the unprepared are denied entry to the wedding party.

Mortality should not be faced with fear, nor should it be ignored, according to Bishop Menjivar. 

“Let us face it: fear is useless, and ignoring the fact of our mortality is foolishness. What we need is proactive preparation and proactive hope. How can we prepare? Have a good stock of the ‘oil of faith, hope, and love’ to go out to meet the Lord with joy whenever he comes. Be at the side of light, not at the side of darkness,” Bishop Menjivar said. 

He stated the importance of making the most of life to be one’s best self to others and in serving God. 

The bishop then referred to Pope Francis recently speaking on St. Káteri Tekakwitha, the first Native American saint of North America. 

St. Káteri was born in a Mohawk village and scarred after contracting smallpox. She is the patron of Native Americans, the environment, and people in exile. Pope Francis spoke on how St. Káteri inspires many to overcome challenges through faith. 

“May we learn from the example of St. Káteri Tekakwitha and from the ancient and ever-beautiful wisdom and faith of our ancestors…May the Great Spirit of God keep us always under his care and protection,” Bishop Menjivar said. 

The Mass was sponsored by the the Office of Cultural Diversity and Outreach of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.

Afterward, Dianne O’Leary and Mary Ann Zaversnik, the co-chairs of the Racial Justice Ministry at St. John Vianney, reflected on that parish group that was founded after Minneapolis police murdered George Floyd, an African American man, during an arrest in 2020. 

That ministry at St. John Vianney Parish has covered a number of topics, including racial justice for Black Catholics, inequity in the education system, and the history of race-based housing discrimination known as redlining. The group also has a book club, as well as a legal affairs committee that Zaversnik leads. 

“We follow the general assembly in Maryland and the legislation that affects racial justice in our area, and we try to get a group together to write to the delegates and the senators to support legislation that would benefit people of color,” Zaversnik said.

She said they also follow the court system and have attended trials in person.

“This past summer, a couple of us went and sat in the court just to see how it worked and if we could pick up on anything where people weren’t treated fairly. Fortunately, I can say that the few cases that we looked at, they were treated very fairly and with compassion. We had some good judges,” Zaversnik said.

O’Leary said their events bring out about 35 to 50 people, which include parishioners and former parishioners who keep up with their community. She spoke on why the intersection of faith and racial justice is important. 

“It’s very important to pray to end all of the injustices in the United States. For example, we had a vigil after a lot of the killings last year, the mass shooting events. We held a vigil in the chapel for justice and peace. Prayer is at the top of our list,” O’Leary said. “Every meeting begins with prayer and ends with prayer.”